Vehicle and tailboard construction



June 30, 1931; F. 0. BLACK 1,812,580

VEHICLE AND TAILBOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed March 5. 192B ,b a u Mil/um: um!!!" I $4 ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1931 i 2,;

PATENT,."OFFICE rnnnnmox 0. BLACK; or JERSEY-CITY, NEW JERSEY VEHICLE Ann'rAILBoAnn ocnsrnncrron Application fi led March 5,

This invention relates to a vehicle body construction; more particularly, to a tailboard construction for moving vans.

It is an object of my invention to associate a tailboard in its combination with a'wagon in such a manner asnot only to be hingedly positioned, serving as a closure for the rear end of the wagon, but to provide a continuous unloading platform forthe tail end of the wagon floor. It is contemplatedby my invention to soassociatea tailgate with the wagon floor that it may be used asa continuous andfsmooth platform extension with the floor of the wagon when in the open position,

- and which may in the closed position provide a protective end in the nature of a bumper for the tailgate, partieularly the supporting means for the tailgate, such as the hinges thereofj Y It is a still further object of my invention to provide'a tailboard for a wagon which may be quickly andreadilymoved hingedly, forming a smooth and continuous platform with the floorbo-ard whereby the articlesmay 0 be loaded or unloaded along thelength of the floor and across the" contacting joint of the tailboard and wagon floor without necessitating the useof filler blocks between these two members so that articles of'furniture maybe 3O rolled overthe floorboard and the platform formed bythe tailboard without danger of obstructing the free. sliding movement of these articles or-catching or breakingcastors,

upon which articles of furniture-are generally mounted. o r Still further objects of myinvention reside in providing reinforcingmeans for the rear end of the floorboard ofa Wagon and'mounting a tailboard thereupomthe reinforcement 40' for the floorboard serving in the nature of a V bumper or guard for the mounting means, such as hinge membersof a tailboard, and at the same time providing an exposed sill 7 whereby large objects may be supportedupon the exterior of the van, thereby augmenting the capacity of the vehicle for transporting articles without requiring anyunusual care 1 in fastening the same to the vehicle, as the" ledge or sill formed serves as an efficient sup-- portingimeans, requiring merely strapping of 19291 serial no; a iases thearticles to the'exterior of the van to adequately supportarticles of furniture, such as bed springs or bed steads to the outside of the i van.

reside in the provision of a wagon construc- 55.

Still further objects of my invention tionin'c'luding a tailboard associated therewith which will not leave'the mounting means for the tailboar'd exposed to blows, as when a moving van is backed into position forloading orunloadingQ Itiscontemplated by my invention to provide a .tailboard -construction and mounting means therefor in the nature of hinges, the hinge members being unexposed'to the extreme edge of the wagon, the I latter forming a bumper or guard for the o hinge members and the tailboard being movable in all positions in performing its intended function, such as a closure, a loadingplae form andin its position as a loading platform, the tailboardforms a substantial platform continuous with the floor board where by rollable or slidable objects, particularly those including 'castors, may bemovedacross from the floorto the platform, or vice versa, Without'danger of obstruction or damaging of the legs or c'asto-rs supporting them,

Still'further objects ofmy invention reside in the'pro'vis'ion of means for hingingthe tailboardin position from points adjacent thee'ndof a floorboard of a wagon'to provide noexposed hinged parts to. the end of the wagon, which. may be damaged in the ordinary use of the wagon in'b'acking to or up against a loading platformbr the like,

- the hinge members being positioned to'dis pose the tailboard' for forming a substan-f tially smo'oth, continuous surface with the floorboard of the wagon, the hinge members being so formed to exposea bumper and loading sill in the closed'position and an the clearance spaces necessary for mounting the hinged members when the tailboard isused as a loading platform, to thereby further ensure a smooth and continuous surface be- 7' tweenthefloorboard and the tailboard. A still further object of my invention. re sides in the provisionof a 'tailboard construction including strong, efiicient and sim ple construction of parts, involving low cost ofproduction and simplicity of installation. 0? V To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear end of a van, disclosing my invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 1, showing the tailboard in a position aligned with the wagon floor;

Figure 3 is a perspective View, similar to Figures 1 and 2, with the tailboard in the hanging position;

Flgure 4 is an enlarged detail taken on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a bottom "iew of the detail shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of another embodiment of my invention.

Making reference to the drawings, it will be observed that my device is preferably associated with a vehicle, such as a moving van 10, having rear doors 11, preferably hinged thereto and occupying substantially the entire opening 12. These may hinge outwardly beyond the end of the body, as will be readily understood. The van floor 13 is preferably formed to extend the end 14 thereof beyond the doors 11, thereby providing a sill 15. To this extension I attach my tail board 16 by the hinge 17, comprising the hinge members 18 and 19, respectively, which are affixed to the, floor and tailboard l3 and 16, respectively, at the bottom side, by screw bolts 20 or the like, fastening elements. The hinge member 18 is disposed to the bottom side of the floorboard, immediately beneath a slot 21, to present the spaced pivotal, bosses 22 to either side of the walls of the slot 21. Through these bosses I afiix the hinge section 19 by passing the pintle bolt 23 through the. end of the member 19, and, the pivotal bosses 22-. The section 19 is of a thickness to-move snugly within the slot 21, and to the section 19 I attach the tailboard 16, with its end 24- of a length from the pintle bolts 23 tojust contact with the edge 14 of the floor board 15. Thus, in its pivotal movement with the section 19' as aradius, the edge 24 of the tailboard. will, in the vertical position as shown in Figure 1, be brought past the edge- 14, carrying the tailboard for a substantialdistance from the edge and providing a sill 15 beyond its vertical position. It is pre- 1 ferred to make the, tailboard material of lighter weight than the material which forms the floorboard of: the van and for this purpose the section of the, hinge member 19 is: angularl-y offset at 19 beyond theflanges 20o. This also forms the clearance portion of the arm 19 in its pivotal movement to the vertical position and is substantially in line: with the clearance edge 25, formed on the tailboard 16. It will be observed; that with the hinged mounting for the tailboardas described, in addition to obtaining an extended sill 15, beyond the tailboard, valuable for purposes of loading articles with the doors 11 in the closed position, for purposes of transporting large articles which do not conveniently fit within the van I also provide a protective guard or bumper for the extreme end of the vehicle, particularly for the hinge section serving to support the tailboard. Thus, the wagon may be backed into loading and unloading position without fear of damagingthe tailboard or the tailboard hinges mounting the same. I may for this purpose, also, additionally protect the floorboard material with metal sheeting 26, which I extend beyond the edge 14 and downwardly on its under surface. This may be steel or other similar material, serving to protect the floor bottom material which is usually made of wood. 7 a

In addition, the tailboard may be pivoted to; substantially the horizontal position as shown in Figures 2 and 4 and held in this position by the usual chains 27 from the hook and shackle attached to the edge of the wagon body and tailboard, respectively, or I may release the chain so that the tailboard swings downwardly beneath the floor board of the wagon, as shown in Figure 3. In this position, the edge 14 functions very efliciently as a bumper or guard for the van when this is backed into position for loading or unloading. In a manner similar to that previously described, the edge 14 extends beyond the support for the tailboard 16, protecting the hinges and tailboard in the extreme open po sition, from damage.

- With the tailboard as used in the horizontal position, shown in Figures 2 and 4, the floorboard 13 and the upper edge of the tailboard 16 will form a substantially continuous surface as the edges of each are in contact with each other, thus eliminating the necessity of using any filler boards between these two edges. When so positioned, artiles may be loaded or unloaded into and from, the van without fear of catching such articles as the eastors or legs of furniture between the spaced portions of the tailboard and the fioorboard. In order to obtain more In Figure 6 I have shown another embodiment of my invention, particularly as to the hinged connection of the tailboard. In this embodiment, the fioorboard 13 isrzprovided with a slotted portion 21, as in the previous embodiment; The tailboard 16 is hinged to.

the fioorboard by a hinge 29 andthis comprises the tailboard section 30*, having a leaf 31 which fills substantially the entire slot 21. It is preferably provided with a straight edge 32 so that with the tailboard16 horizontally disposed, as shown in Figure 6, the leaf 31 will fill completely the slot 21, with the straight edge 32 in line with the upper surface of the floorboard. The section 30, at its board 16 is attached by fastening elements,

rearward portion, is provided with a. transversely formed flange 33, towhich the tailsuch as screw bolts or the like. At the extreme curved portion of the section there with complemental orifices in the bosses is provided a pivot point34, which aligns of the spaced rear sections of the hinge 36. These members are disposed to either side of the slot 21, at the lower surface of theitailboard. It will be observed that in pivoting the tailboard in this embodiment about the pivot point 34, the extreme point 21 of the section 30 will clear past the rear wall of the slot 21 arcuately formed. By continued movement to the vertical position, as shown at A, the edge 24' of the tailboard will serve as a stop, preventing any further inward tilting movement. The tailboard may also be pivoted to the position shown in dotted lines at B, if it is not desired to use the tailboard 16 as a platform. As in the previous em bodiment the edge 14: of the floorboard serves as a guard or bumper for the hinge members, protecting the same when the van is backed into a loading platform. Additionally, this extension beyond the tailbo ard serves as a sill upon which articles may be mounted outside of the van. It will be observed, particularly by the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 and with the tailboard disposed in the horizontal position, that I provide a simple and continuous surface between the floorboard of the wagon and the tailboard, with the edges 14 and 24 in intimate contact, avoiding any slots or spaced portions which may catch arti-' cles which are slid across the edges of the floorboard and tailboard, to'and from the interior of the van,,thus requiring no filler boards between the floorboard and tailboard.

Additionally, also, I avoid any open spaces at the slot 21, as the upper edge'of the leaf 31 completely fills this portion'when the'floorboard is in the horizontal position. Thus,'I may attach a floorboard 16 by as many hinges as desired, to the portion adjacent the edge of the floorboard,'without fear of destroying the'lsmoothness of the surface between the edge of the floorboard and the edge of the tailboard. It will also be observed that though I have illustrated the tailboard as 7 preferably attached to-the floorboard .of the van by three spaced hinges, these maybe increased in' number to obtain the desired strength or the middle hinge may be omitted in the embodiments illustratedinFigures 1,

2 and to avoid forming depression or slotted sections necessary in assemblingthe "hingelto thefloorboard. i I

As indicated above, the tailboard 16is preferably made of material thinnerthan that ofthe floorboard 13 not only to lighten the weight of this member but by this con:

struction I may shorten the length of the liin'ge sections 19 and 30 in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 4; and 6, respectively, and still, by the clearance provided by the difference'in thickness between the tailboard and the fioorboard, get adequate clearance over the edge 14 and the extension of this edge 14 beyond the position assumed bythe tailboard in its vertical position to augment the tailboard. I

In general, it will beobserved that I have features of bringingthe edge of the tailboardin close and intimate'contact with the edge efthefloorboard, providing a prothe length of the bumper surface, at the same time strengthening the hinge mounting of '85 provided a new and novel body and tail-M 'board construction which has the desirable tective guard or bumper. for thewagon or van,- in addition to the hinged parts which serve as a means of supporting the tailboard, further augmenting the supporting area out side the van in the nature of a sill, upon which articles may beconveniently and easily supported.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- I 1. In avehicle body construction, the combination with the floorboard, of a tailboard hingedly mounted thereto, hinge sections for said tailboard connected to said tailboard and floorboard, respectively, said sections including a common pivot inwardly of the. rear end of the fioorboard, guiding the inner edge of the tailboard in substantially close con- 1 tact with'the end of the floorboard in the horizontalposition of the tailboard to form a smooth and continuous surface and locating the'tailboard inwardly of the fioorboard rear end in the vertical position of the tailboard Y whereby the floorboard end forms a bumper or guard. for-the tailboard.

2. Ina vehicle body construction, the combination with a floorboard and the unloading end thereof, of a tailboard hingedlymounted to the floorboar'd, hinge sections formed as part. of said tailboard and floorboard respectively, said sections including a common sill and a bumper or guardifor the tailboard and hinge sections. v

3. In a vehicle body construction, the combination with the floorboard of a tailboard hingedly mounted thereto, hinge sections connected to said tailboard and floorboard respectively, one of said sections guiding the inner edge of the tailboard in close contact with the end of the floorboard, guiding slots formed in said fioorboard for said hinge sections to which said tailboard is connected, said hinge sections including a filler portion to fill said slots when said tailboard is disposed in the horizontal position, whereby a smooth and continuous surface is provided between the floorboard and the tailboard.

4. In a vehicle body construction, the combination with a floorboard, of a tailboard hingedly mounted to the floorboard, hinge sections connected to said floorboard and tailboard respectively, including a common pivot adjacent the end of the floorboard, the hinge section connected to the tailboard being extended beyond the end of the tailboard for guiding the inner edge of the tailboard in close contact with the end of the floorboard when the tailboard is in the horizontal position, said tailboard being formed of a thinner section than the floorboard to thereby dispose the tailboard inwardly of the fioorboard end when the tailboard is in a Vertical position, and to thereby have the edge of the floorboard form a bumper or guard for the tailboard.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 25th day of February, 1929.

FREDERICK 0. BLACK. 

